Causeofdeath

Cause of death refers to the disease or injury that initiated the chain of events leading directly to a person’s death. It is distinct from the mechanism of death, which is the final physiological process such as cardiac arrest or respiratory failure, and from contributing factors that may have worsened the outcome.

On death certificates and in official records, causes are organized into immediate, underlying, and contributing conditions. The underlying cause is the disease or injury that started the sequence of events. The immediate cause is the final condition resulting in death. Contributing conditions are other factors that played a role but were not the primary cause.

Common categories of cause of death include natural causes (disease or aging), accidental deaths (trauma or overdose), intentional deaths (suicide or homicide), and undetermined cases. In public health and epidemiology, the underlying cause is coded using standardized classifications such as the ICD-10 to produce mortality statistics and track trends over time.

Process and limitations: Certification is typically performed by a physician, medical examiner, or coroner, with cases reviewed by vital statistics offices. Accuracy can be affected by incomplete information, diagnostic uncertainties, or legal differences across jurisdictions. Misclassification and delays may occur, which can impact health research and policy decisions.

Example: a death attributed to myocardial infarction might have coronary artery disease as the underlying cause, the myocardial infarction as the immediate cause, and risk factors like smoking as contributing conditions. The concept is central to mortality data, public health planning, and epidemiological research.